If All The Bees In The World Die, Humans Will Not Survive

For some people, bees are simply an annoyance. They buzz around, crawl inside soda cans, chase people down the street and sometimes even sting. If you're unlucky enough to be allergic, bees can literally be a lethal threat.

Bees... Can't Live With Them, Can't Live Without Em'.

Even if you hate bees, you need them. They are responsible for much of the food on your plate. Bees perform a task that is vital to the survival of agriculture: pollination. In fact, one third of our global food supply is pollinated by bees.

Simply put, bees keep plants and crops alive. Without bees, humans wouldn't have very much to eat.

Without bees, these crops would cease to exist. Bees are crucial to our existence as well, thus we must work harder to protect and preserve them. Likewise, as renowned entomologist Marla Spivak puts it:

Anyone who cares about the health of the planet, for now and for generations to come, needs to answer this wake-up call. ...Fewer bees lead to lower availability and potentially higher prices of fruit and vegetables. Fewer bees mean no almonds, less coffee and less alfalfa hay available to feed dairy cows. ...We need good, clean food, and so do our pollinators. If bees do not have enough to eat, we won't have enough to eat. Dying bees scream a message to us that they cannot survive in our current agricultural and urban environments...

Why Are Bees Disappearing?

Presently, there is an ongoing debate surrounding the disappearance of bees. It seems pretty clear that pesticides are the main culprit, however.

Since the end of World War II, the use of pesticides in agriculture has increased exponentially. Relatedly, it is now suggested that the widespread use of pesticides known as neonicotinoids is having a detrimental impact on the health of bees.

Neonicotinoids, which are chemically similar to nicotine, are an extremely popular pesticide. They are also likely poisoning bees and other pollinators. In essence, pesticides are terrible for the environment, and they are killing the organisms that help the world, and humans, survive.

It's important to note, however, that while pesticides are likely a large part of the reason bees are dying, there are other factors in play as well.

In essence, this is a complex problem that the world's top scientists are still investigating. In addition to pesticides, for example, it is believed that bees are also dying from various parasites, like the Varroa mite.

Hence, bees are dying from a combination of factors, but primarily due to the impact of human practices and the ongoing problems associated with climate change.

Humans are destroying wild habitats in which bees traditionally get their food. When bees pollinate various plants, they are also receiving sustenance in return. As Marla Spivak states:

...The ironic thing is that bees are not out there pollinating our food intentionally. They're out there because they need to eat. Bees get all of the protein they need in their diet from pollen and all of the carbohydrates they need from nectar. They're flower-feeders, and as they move from flower to flower,basically on a shopping trip at the local floral mart, they end up providing this valuable pollination service.

Simply put, humans are terrible for bees. Pesticides, environmental degradation and pollution, are all contributing to the alarming rate of bee deaths.

The tragic irony of this is, by killing bees, we are hurting ourselves. Our survival depends on the health of the planet and its species, and unless we begin to realize this then we will continue to contribute to its demise -- and our own.

We Can Save The Bees.

Luckily, there are already efforts to save bees and other pollinators. In fact, in June, President Obama established a Pollinator Health Task Force. This is a federal effort to help quell the loss of important pollinators, such as bees.

Additionally, simply having a garden can greatly assist the health and livelihood of bee populations. Simply put, plant flowers in your yard and neighborhood, don't contaminate them with pesticides and you will help save bees.

This is not our world alone, we share it with a massive variety of species. Humans have done the most to damage the planet, thus it is our duty to reverse this trend and fight for its health.

We only get one planet Earth, there are no second chances. When a species goes extinct, that's the end. We cannot allow bees to go extinct if we have any hope of surviving.

Likewise, it's time to open our eyes to the impact of climate change. It's reassuring that studies have shown that due to human efforts, the ozone layer is now beginning to heal, but there is still much work to be done. Protecting the planet will be an ongoing task that requires constant vigilance.

There is no better time than now to begin reversing the detrimental impact humans have had on the environment. The first step is educating people on the problem, and how they can contribute to a solution.

This is an endeavor that will require the participation of all of the world's 7.1 billion inhabitants. When it comes to the survival of the planet, we cannot afford to be ignorant or apathetic.

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